The Conference kicked off with a heated discussion about shaping the demand for high-quality binders in road construction and the development of bitumen production in Russia. Experts in road construction from ROSDORNII, Federal Road Agency, Federal public institution «Tsentravtomagistral», VAD JSC, Trud JSC, and others were involved.

«With the road safety project launched, customers at all levels should base their design documents requirements to bitumen on the new legal standards,» said Alexey Toroschin, advisor to the head of the Federal Road Agency (FRA). He also provided the results of the «Safe and High-Quality Roads» project implemented in 2017-2018 and added that next year the project would acquire the status of a national one.

Konstantin Mogilny, head engineer of the Federal public Institution «Tsentravtomagistral», highlighted the requirements for polymer binders that contractors are to meet in the Superpave asphalt-concrete production. He also mentioned that the FRA institutions would apply laboratory testing to ensure the compliance with the Technical regulations of the customs union TR TS 014/2011.

The application of the Superpave technology and the role of binders in design, production, and laying of the asphalt-concrete mixes constituted the second cluster of challenges addressed during the conference.

«The Superpave system provides innovative methods of testing based on the assessment of rheological properties and the classification of pavement operating temperatures,» said Evgeny Damie, advisor to the general director of ROSDORNII. Mr. Damie believes the Superpave technology will allow the industry to efficiently use local and secondary materials, depending on the traffic intensity on the roads.

Anatoly Novikovsky, head of the quality control department at Rosneft Bitumen, stressed the advantages of PBB-based asphalt-concrete pavements. «PBB extends the life of asphalt-concrete pavements,» he concluded.

The discussants expressed a variety of opinions regarding the laboratory testing of bitumen binders and asphalt-concrete mixes with the Superpave technology. Artem Boyev, director general of InfraTest, provided an estimated cost of the equipment for various preliminary national standards (PNST) based on the technical requirements to operating temperatures. Meanwhile, the representatives of ROSDORNII and Tsentravtomagistral concurred that there was enough equipment at present while the growing demand for performance testing equipment had been driving its prices down.

There was the first-ever session of the Conference entirely focussed on organic binders in the construction and maintenance of airfields. Application of standards, including formal barriers that emerge from the Road safety technical regulations of the customs union, made up the core of the discussion.

Con Sinadinos, managing director of pavetest Pty LTD, shared international experience in testing designed to predict the asphalt-concrete performance.
Martins Zaumanis, researcher of asphalt-concrete materials from EMPA Materials Science and Technology, made a breakthrough presentation «Restoration of bitumen properties in production of mixes with modified asphalt concrete: Various approaches».

The presentation on using polyphosphoric acid for bitumen modification delivered by Bruno Marcant, managing director of ValoChem sparked a particular interest in the audience.

Other speakers included representatives of Avtoban JV, Gazpromneft Bitumen Materials, Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University (MADI), Russian state university of oil and gas, as well as other industrial and scientific organizations, Administration of Civil Airports, Airports of Regions.

We are delighted that the conference provided a unique opportunity for experts from all over the world to discuss the efficiency of organic binders in road construction and to share their Superpave expertise.

MAXConference offers special thanks to our speakers, moderators and panellists.

Your ideas and suggestions about the next conference’s agenda are very welcome at +7(495) 745-07-40 / or info@maxconf.ru